YICHANG -- The Three Gorges hydropower project in central China was operating normally after a 4.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the area early on Thursday, operators said.

The epicenter of the tremor which happened at 12:20 am was in Zigui county, some 30 km from the Three Gorges Dam, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The quake was felt at the dam area but has not affected the normal operation of the project, said an administration official from the China Three Gorges Corporation.

The water level and the navigation of ships in the Three Gorges reservoir were normal with no reports of any large landslides, the official added.

Authorities in Zigui are checking whether there were any casualties or property losses.

The Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system, consisting of a 2,309-meter-long and 185-meter-high dam, a five-tier ship lock, and 26 hydropower turbo-generators.

The project generates electricity, controls floods by storing excess water and helps to regulate the river's shipping capacity.